Is Juuling Safer than Smoking? Yes and No, According to Science

Fans of Juuling often say it's much safer than smoking tobacco, but are nicotine vaporizers actually safer than cigarettes? Yes and no, according to scientists who are still very wary of Juul and other e-cigarettes.

Unlike cigarettes, Juul does not involve combustion. That means your lungs won't be exposed to carbon monoxide and other harmful toxins found in smoke. Cigarettes also contain hundreds of chemicals that have been linked to causing cancer. In contrast, the e-liquid used by Juul only has five ingredients: benzoic acid, a nicotine solution, glycerol, propylene glycol and food-grade flavoring. The short list of ingredients, and the fact that vaping does not include combustion, mean that Juuling seriously decreases the number of toxins and carcinogenic chemicals that you'd inhale from smoking.

But that doesn't necessarily mean that Juul is safer than cigarettes. First off, it still contains nicotine, which triggers the reward pathway in your brain, causing you to feel good after having a puff. On top of that uplifting sensation, nicotine can make you feel more awake and alert while also reducing stress. That's why it's such a highly addictive substance.

On top of that, Juul and other e-cigarettes are still relatively new, so scientists aren't exactly sure what the longterm effects are. Europeans began smoking tobacco in the 1560s, but it wasn't until the middle of the 20th century that scientists determined that cigarettes cause cancer. With today's scientific advances, it probably won't take 400 years to determine if Juuling is safe or not, but it could still be a while before researchers understand all the risks associated with vaping nicotine.

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